Earth: A Star Wars Story
by Darth Lego Master
Summary: Deep in the Unknown Regions an Imperial Battle-group has been dispatched to explore a newly discovered system. The system's single planet capable of sustaining life has been chosen as the forward base for Commander Camas and his crew, but they may find the local population harder to deal with than they first thought. The planet's name: Earth.


**A/N: Hello. This story is a new idea I'm sure a lot of us have pondered at some point. I just thought I'd post this first chapter to see if you like it.**

 **To those of you are following me, I am still working on the Imperial Invasion of Westeros. I'm very sorry about the long update time between chapters but remember I'm doing this for fun and I'd rather post chapters at my own pace.**

 **Until then, enjoy and don't forget to review!**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Battlegroup Infinitum, Unknown Regions**

The Unknown Regions was the vast, infinite expanse of space that edged the boundaries of the known Galaxy. Captain Devlin Camas remembered his uncle telling him bedtime stories to try and scare him. His uncle had spoken of dark creatures lurking in those regions, which snatched naughty children out of bed on very dark nights and stole them away into the void. Young Camas had been terrified of the dark after that. He had become prone to wetting himself in the night and waking up screaming from nightmares until he was fourteen. His father, frustrated by this, had forced Camas into enlisting in their planet's security forces, thinking it would knock these silly delusions out of his son's head. His father's move seemed to work, as Dev Camas became an exceptionally talented officer.

Forty years later, after a long and prolific career in the Republic Navy and its successor, the Imperial Navy, Camas looked back on that little boy cowering in his bed, and wondered how he could have been so ridiculous. The forty-nine-year-old stood, back strait, hands clasped behind back, keeping a keen eye over the bridge of his ship, the Imperial Star Destroy _Infinitum_ , which buzzed with the activity of Imperial professionalism. Every man and woman were carrying out their duties with focus and precision. Given the crew's performance since he had taken command, Camas had been proud to call himself their Captain. He had said that if anyone fell behind on their duties, or let him down, or tarnished the reputation of the Imperial Navy, the consequences would be _very_ server. Just a few days after assuming the role of Captain, Camas had discovered a group of crewmen had been spice using in their down time. 340 members of the _Infinitum's_ 37,000 strong crew were discharged in disgrace, but Camas made sure that the midshipman who had been ringleader got the worst of it. After being court marshalled and stripped of rank, the officer was sent to one of the Empire's furthest and most hostile penal colonies. Camas had personally over seen the transfer, just to let the man know what happens to insubordination on his ship.

"Lieutenant, report," Camas called to his first officer.

"All systems diagnostics complete," Lieutenant Ryves reported from one of the bridge's crew pits. "Everything is in order. We're ready to make the jump to light speed on your command."

"What's the status of the battlegroup?"

"The _Hammer_ and the _Anvil_ are standing by along with our cruisers," said the Lieutenant. "They await your orders."

"Have the coordinates been keyed in to their navigational systems?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then tell them we begin the jump to light speed immediately." Camas walked up to the forward viewport. His battlegroup was parked in a region that had only recently been charted. Beyond this they were due to be en route to a new star system that the Imperial Exploration Corps had discovered after one of their probe droids had gone missing.

"Commencing jump to light speed…" the navigational officer said. "Now!"

The _Infinitum_ surged forward. The stars became blazing lines until they entered the silvery vortex of hyperspace. Camas looked out of the side viewport. The rest of Battlegroup Infinitum was sailing silently besides them. Their force was a small one (well, small by Imperial standards), and included two Victory Star Destroyers, the VSD _Hammer_ and the VSD _Anvil_ , three Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers, one Interdictor cruiser, four Acclamator assault ships and ten freighters. Their ground forces were the men and women of the 42nd and 58th Stormtrooper Legions, with a compliment of walkers and assault tanks for support. The whole force had been assembled almost in a rush upon the orders of Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. _Infinitum_ herself had been on shore leave when Camas had received the transmission that he had been selected as Battlegroup Commander. Camas had been keeping it to himself all the while, but he personally thought it was a bit much.

Traditionally, whenever a new star system was discovered, a single small cruiser was sent by the Survey and Exploration Corps to scout out the new territory. The _Infinitum's_ navigational officer, Lieutenant-Commander Dorman, had spent some time in the Corps and had served on several of these recon missions, stories he enjoyed relaying to the other ship's officers during mess. Because of his experience, Camas had asked him to assist in analysing the transmissions that had been extracted from the recovered probe droid. According to Dorman, half of the planets in the systems he had visited were inhabited by savage, primordial lifeforms of no real intelligence, while the other half were barely capable of sustaining life. If they did encounter intelligent life, they were primitives living in mud huts who hadn't even invented the wheel.

But what made this system (which had been given the title, System H) different, Dorman had informed Camas when they were going over the droid's data transmissions, was that there was one planet in this system that was not only capable of sustaining life, but the droid had also detected an array of signals and transmissions being bounced back and forth across the surface. The droid hadn't been able to identify the codes and algorithms being used since it was a completely different set to anything the Empire or the Rebellion used, but it told them one very important thing: the planet processed some form of technology. Exactly how advanced they were being still unknown at this time, but given that their signals were short range and restricted to inside the planet's atmosphere, Camas assumed that they were still a young civilisation when compared to the more advanced worlds and races of the Galaxy.

Camas took a moment to look at the reflected face with smooth, shallow skin and a round nose looking at him in the viewport. The dark brown hair that peaked out from under his kepi already had a few grey spots, which he a chalked up to stress. His eyes were a clear blue. Camas personally though they had a slight kindly twinkle, which combined with his soft features, gave him the appearance of a proud uncle, something that made his crew look up to him. Camas liked this. It meant that they weren't prepared for his harsh streak when they failed him.

"Sir, all ships have been accounted for." Camas heard Commander Jarl behind him. "Our estimated arrival is one hour."

"Very good, Jarl." The captain turned around to face his exec. The man before him was all business, straight faced and smart of posterior, the epitome of an Imperial officer. "You may carry on."

Jarl saluted crisply and returned to his duties.

"Captain," Camas heard the comms officer say. "We have an incoming transmission from Grand Admiral Thrawn."

Camas nodded. "I'll take it in my quarters." He turned from the bridge and walked sharply into the security foyer, which was set directly behind the bridge. From there, he climbed into the turbo lift and pressed the control for down. The lift deposited him on the level that housed the quarters for ship's officers. A few junior officers stopped to salute Camas as he made a beeline for the end on the corridor were the Ship Captain's quarters was located. He entered the entrance code and the metal doors slide open, reviling a set of living quarters that was triple the size of the other senior officers'. Like most Imperial Officers, Camas preferred function over comfort. A simple bed was set into the corner of the room opposite a desk. Camas passed it as he walked into his office, which sat directly adjacent to the room. When he got in, a small light was blinking on the desk, a sign that someone was waiting on the other end of the Holo-Com. Camas sat down and clicked on the communicator. A scratchy, translucent hologram of the Chiss Grand Admiral materialized out of the projector on the desk.

"Captain Camas." The Grand Admiral's voice was almost a whisper, yet exuded a tone of infinite calm.

"Grand Admiral," Camas acknowledged as he stood to attention.

"I just wanted to make sure you understand the details of your assignment," Thrawn continued.

Camas nodded. "Secure this new system for the Empire and set up an outpost," he recounted.

"And you've read the report on this system?"

Camas punched a few keys on his desk console, bringing up a holographic diagram of System H. There were eleven planets orbiting the system's sun. "Three of the outer planets are covered in thick outer layers of gas," he read from the report on his terminal. "The four inner planets are terrestrial bodies comprised of rock and iron. The two largest inner plants have natural satellites orbiting them. All but one of these planets is capable of sustaining life. It is a medium sized planet, third from the sun, with a single moon in orbit." Camas raised his head slightly to look at Thrawn from under the peak of his kepi. "That is our target, am I correct?"

Thrawn smiled. "You are correct, Captain. That planet will serve as the Empire's base of operations in that system. The system itself will become a new outpost for the Empire against the Unknown Regions." Thrawn's blue hued brow creased as he narrowed his crimson eyes at Camas. "I cannot stress the importance of this assignment, Captain."

Camas arched an eyebrow. "Importance, sir?" Until now he had been under the impression that the Grand Admiral had simply been following protocol: a new star system had been discovered and sending a small ship or group of ships to lay claim wasn't uncommon. Although, this did somewhat confirm his suspicion about sending an entire battlegroup. So, the system was important after all. Camas considered asking why then and there, but this was Grand Admiral Thrawn he was talking to: an individual known for his unusual ways.

"There are forces hiding in the Unknown Regions that are beyond our understanding, Captain," Thrawn stated in response. "Forces that outrange even our great Emperor himself." Camas was taken aback by that last statement. Most officers would not dare to belittle the Emperor's authority and power. But, he remined himself, Grand Admiral Thrawn was not most officers.

"It is vital that our presence goes unchallenged," Thrawn went on. "Tell me, Captain, do you trust your crew?"

Camas again found that question personally insulting, but he did his best not to show it. Of course he trusted his crew! There had been the fiasco with the spice users, but once those bad eggs had been removed, the men and women aboard the _Infinitum_ had proved themselves to be a shining example of Imperial professionalism. "Yes, sir, I trust them indefinitely," Camas said, only just able to keep the outraged edge out of his voice.

"That is good." Thrawn didn't seem to pick up on Camas' tone. If he did, he ignored it. "I trust I don't need to say anything else? You understand everything we sent you from the probe?"

"I understand, sir," Camas said crisply. "I've been over the probe's data transmissions and there is evidence of some low-level technology. I only ask how you want them handled if they turn out to be more trouble than they're worth?"

"That's simple." A grating voice floated from the back of the room. "They either submit to the Empire's will, or we turn their planet's surface into molten slag!"

Camas turned and saw a battle-scarred officer entre his quarters. He had the sort of rugged face that come with a life of being exposed to the elements, with bristly stubble, a residing hairline and a thick bony facial structure into which his beady black eyes were set. Three vivid scars trailed across his face from his forehead to the edge of his square jaw. "Not that it'll come to that, mind you," he continued. "We're talking about an underdeveloped people armed with slug throwers at worst."

"Words of confidence, Colonel Rowe," said Thrawn, sounding somewhat amused. "But I have other plans for this world. I want that planet and is resources intact, with as few casualties as possible. If you have to, try and gain the population's trust. Make them think that the Empire is their friend. Now, you must please excuse me, gentlemen, I have my own duties to discharge. I will leave you to discharge yours."

Camas watched the holographic figure vanish once the transmission was terminated. He then turned to his old friend, the CO of Battlegroup Infinitum's ground forces, Colonel Ulan Rowe. The scarred man casually saluted when he did so.

"At ease, Colonel. Is there anything you wanted to report?"

"What, am I not allowed to talk to my dear friend without it being official?" Rowe asked through a mischievous smirk, which Camas shook his head at.

"Of course, but my I remind you we are on duty," Camas said seriously, then raised an eyebrow. "And I am technically your superior here." It was only appropriate, given that they were both still on duty, that the captain and the colonel act so formally, even in private. They were both the link the united the Army and Navy units within the Battlegroup's chain of command. Only when they were off duty could they indulge in friendly small talk.

Rowe nodded understandingly. "My apologies, sir."

"Accepted."

"Actually, I was on my way to inspect the troops," Rowe said, referring to the Stormtrooper company stationed aboard the _Infinitum_. "I was wondering if you'd care to join me?"

Camas smiled in good humour. "Unfortunately, I have other duties to see to. But I hope you will join us later at mess and trade war stories."

"I would be honoured, Captain. Permission to leave?"

"Granted."

Camas watched his friend leave the room. They would have time to relive old times later. Now though, they both had things to do. __

**ISD** _ **Infinitum,**_ **Main Hanger**

"Squad! Fall in line!" Sergeant Ida Vixent, designation TK-9781, barked at her squad. Around them, other squads in their platoon were forming up in block formation, ready for inspection.

"Move it, nerf herders!" Corporal TK-3602, her second-in-command, was yelling. The 'nerf herders' in question was jogging double time behind them, all eight troopers in full plastoid armour. The two troopers at the back started lagging behind. They both bent over in the standard catching breath pose. One of them said something that made the other laugh far too loudly for Vixent's liking, prompting the corporal to shout some more and aggressively shove them to keep up. Vixent shook her head. The squad hadn't seen combat for a while and down time was making them sloppy. She was defiantly having a talk with those two especially later.

Finally, they were lined up among the rest of the 200-strong Alpha Company in the _Infinitum's_ massive hanger, surrounded by TIE fighters, AT-ATs, AT-STs, Sentinel landing crafts and walker dropships. Stormtroopers were standing side by side with biker scouts, walker drivers and TIE pilots.

Vixent took up place along with the other white paldron adorned sergeants, standing with their squads. There were four platoons in D Company, with four lieutenants heading up their respective platoon. The company captain himself, sporting the orange paldron of a Stormtrooper officer, was overseeing the assembly.

When everyone was finally in line, the captain called _"Attention!"_ and every trooper snapped to it, two hundred helmeted faces looking directly ahead and not moving a muscle. Vixent knew the drill: her squad had spent all morning cleaning their weapons and polishing their armour. Now Colonel Rowe was coming down for the routine inspection. She'd done these inspections a hundred times during her time in the Stormtrooper Corps. More often than not, it was a chance for a smug, sometimes overweight, academy fodder to gloat about how superior they were to these lowly cannon fodder in a way that made half of the members of Vixent's squad want to strangle them. She hadn't ever seen Colonel Ulan Rowe prior to Alpha Company being assigned to Battlegroup Infinitum, but she had heard good things about him. According to a sergeant from another company, he was that rarest of things: an officer who valued the lives of their soldiers. Based on experiences she'd had with past commanders, Vixent was hesitant to believe it but kept an open mind. After all, a mission involving a new star system meant she's soon have more important things to worry about.

As if on cue, Vixent saw the Colonel approaching, surrounded by his aids, all dressed in the unmissable olive-grey uniforms of the Imperial Military. Vixent picked out the man at the front with the three scars Colonel Rowe was said to have, determining that this was the man. The company captain stepped up and exchanged salutes with the Colonel, then directed Rowe and his entourage down the line of Alpha Company. Vixent and her squad were at the front, so she gave them a quick glance to check that they were behaving themselves. Thankfully, even the two jokers were setting a better example, but that wasn't going to stop her administering that talk later for their tardiness.

As the officers progressed down the ranks, Vixent was surprised at how long Rowe spent inspecting each squad, spending a good minute on the state of each trooper's armour and blaster. She noted the almost juvenile smirk the Colonel wore, which reminded her of her younger brother when they were children, setting up his toy soldiers.

Eventually, the Colonel retched Vixent's squad. His eyes gave each of them the once over, before singling out on trooper who was below average height.

"A little short for a stormtrooper, aren't we?" Rowe said, a smirk twitching the corner of his mouth Vixent noted.

"Correct, sir," the trooper's distorted female replied, unmoved. Vixent realised it was TK-1045, her squad's medic.

Rowe just nodded and continued. He carried on, passing Vixent's squad. After what seemed like an hour, the Colonel took up place in front of the whole company. "Well, it looks like we won't be having any disagreements any time soon," he began, sounding satisfied with the inspection. "I chose this company out of the entire legion to act as planet-side vanguard. I hope you know what that means?"

Vixent felt the rumble of _"Yes, sir!"_ around her.

"It means that if there is indeed going to be fighting, you'll be going in first!" Rowe went on. "You now, I almost feel like I cheating you guys a bit here. Sending the pride of our Stormtrooper Corps against a bunch of slug throwing bantha fodder is too gentle in my opinion. Still, I know you won't let me or Captain Camas down." The colonel's smirk suddenly vanished, and his face hardened. "Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're not the really the unstoppable fighting force COMPNOR is always building you up as. Maybe you're just a bunch of trigger fingered, clumsy armatures with skulls thicker than those helmets, whose aim couldn't hit the side of the side of a plodding dewback if you tried!"

Silence. The silence was almost painful. Rowe's face was twisted with a judgmental sneer. Vixent could sense the tension in her comrades, but remained ridged. No one had any response to the colonel's last comment, even though she was sure that his words might have hit a few nerves. To be honest, she was feeling a little sting herself, but she kept it down. Now was not the time. Out of the corner of her helmet's visor she could see the trooper next to her. She couldn't recall the name or number, but the soldier's head was twitching slightly. Rowe's words must have railed him.

The silence was suddenly broken, grabbing Vixent's attention away from her squad mate. To her surprise, it was Colonel Rowe himself, who was laughing heartily. "Ha! I got you lot good there!" he was saying between chuckles. Rowe turned back to the company captain. "Right, that concludes our inspection," he added, smirk returned. With a final tap of his head, Colonel Rowe turned on his heel and hurried out of the hanger followed by the other officers.

The captain understood the gesture, because he then turned to the company and yelled, "Dismissed!"

Vixent lead her squad out of the hanger and into the _Infinitum's_ barracks. When they reached the bunks, the eight Stormtroopers immediately set upon their sleeping quarters, removing their helmets and hanging up their utility belts. Vixent herself tucked her helmet under her arm and ran a hand over her short dirty blond hair. TK-3602 was the only one who still had his gear on. He was standing near the entrance of the bunks, blaster still in hand, like he was on guard duty.

The trooper who had been railed stormed over to his bunk and sat down on it.

"I guess he thought that was funny," he said.

"Excuse me, trooper?" TK-3602 sprang to life, making everyone jump.

The trooper pulled off his helmet, revealing a fierce face with wiry and greasy hair. His teeth were locked in a scowl. "The colonel having a bit of fun at our expense, I mean. What a load of…"

Whatever Rowe was a load of, Vixent never heard it, because TK-3602 grabbed the trooper by the back of the neck, making him wince in pain, and drag him off the bunk and hold him face down to the metal floor.

"You're out of line, Collazo!" TK-3602 snarled.

"All that stuff about 'going in first' and us being 'the pride Stormtrooper Corps'," the man continued regardless, scowling through his teeth into the floor. "If he really meant that, why send us to fight slug throwers on some backwater planet!" Vixent watched him grimace as he strained his neck to look up at her. "You know what I'm talking about, Sergeant."

With her helmet off, Vixent could fix the man with her deep brown eyes. She recognised him now: Whil Collazo, designation TK-2275, a member of her squad who had a problem with officers. Her eyes narrowed on that scowl of his.

"The corporal's right, you are out of line," she said, feeling like a mother telling off her son. "Let him up."

"Yes, ma'am!" TK-3602 automatically obeyed, releasing Collazo's neck and letting the man slowly stand up, rubbing the back of his neck.

"If I hear you make a remark like that again, Collazo, you'll be on sanitary duty for a month!" Vixent snapped at him, prompting a few small gasps from the other troopers at the mention of sanitary duty. "Now go take a shower. I want you cooled off."

She didn't flinch when Collazo gave his sergeant a look of distain before trudging off in the direction of the showers. Vixent shook her head grimly. If that trooper caused problems on this operation because of some issues he had with the officers, it would reflect badly on the company. This apparently hadn't even been the first time. According to Collazo's file, he already had been discharged from another company for getting into a fight with a lieutenant in the mess hall. Vixent felt bile in the back of her throat. An Imperial stormtrooper acting like a school boy? That was just disgraceful!

She shook her head again. Still, on the upside, she was pleased with the squad's display. Then again, she had those jokers to deal with. She found them both sitting on their bunks, sniggering like Jawas.

"Ma'am, shall I…" She heard TK-3602 start but she shook her head.

"No corporal, I'll handle this," she said as she marched over to the laughing troopers.

"TK-4783! TK-1122!" Her voice snapped them both to their feet.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"What exactly did you think that was so funny back there?" she demanded.

Both troopers' eyes flickered at each other in confusion. TK-4783, a redheaded man whose name was Jeckan Ordo, said, "I afraid we don't know what you mean, ma'am."

Not buying that for a minute, Vixent turned up the intensity of her stare at both of them.

TK-1122, or Jennis Kilim, a woman with yellowish blond hair that was bunned up, quickly added, "No ma'am."

"Really?" Vixent let all of the coldness of her voice chill both of them. "Then allow me to remind you. Lagging behind and laughing at an inappropriate volume right before an inspection!"

Ordo gulped. Kilim bit her lip. Vixent gave them another one over before saying, completely casually, "What was so funny?"

Both troopers went silent, taken aback by their superior's sudden shift in tone. Their eyes flickered back at each other in confusion. "Sergeant?"

Vixent cocked one of her bold eyebrows at them. "It's a simple question. What was so funny?" she repeated.

Ordo and Kilim shared one more puzzled look. Then Kilim replied, "Well, TK-4783 here said that they should really just make us sleep in the hanger in armour round the cycles if they want us to get to attention that quickly."

Vixent's expression didn't change.

"It was just a silly thought, ma'am," Kilim added quickly. "Sorry."

"Wouldn't be a bad idea though," Ordo suddenly said, to which Kilim gave him a warning look.

The sergeant turned her head fully in Ordo's direction, eyes locked on. "And why is that, trooper?" She kept her voice on the edge.

Ordo was sweating and the lump in his throat was quivering. "I just… if you think about it… it…" he stammered, but Vixent's gaze was making him nervous. Good. "I… it would just save time… to get to the anger bay…" _Anger bay?_ Vixent was staring to think that he was forgetting how to speak.

Ordo eventually found his voice again and, looking down in shame, said, "I'm sorry, sergeant. I promise it won't happen again."

"Of course, it won't," Vixent said with as much formality as she could muster. "Sanitary duty. One month."

"Yes, ma'am," the jokers said, Ordo while he was looking down in embarrassment, Kilim while clenching her teeth and looking like she was ready to kick her comrade.

"Good. That'll be all." Vixent turned around and left them by their bunks. When she passed TK-3602, the corporal nodded approvingly.

Returning the head gesture, Vixent looked in the direction of the showers. Damn, she couldn't wait to get out of this armour.

 **ISD** _ **Infinitum**_ **, Command Bridge**

"Captain!"

Camas heard the thick, grave voice of Lieutenant-Commander Dorman.

"We're coming up on System H, sir," Dorman relayed, using the system's given moniker. "We'll be dropping out of hyperspace one hundred clicks from the planet."

"Very good," said Camas with a pleased nod.

Through the forward viewport, hyperspace melted away into a cluster of stars. Amid the cluster, System H's only habitable planet sat.

"Sir, I'm picking up some strong signals originating from the planet," the comms officer called to him from out in the security foyer.

Camas entered the foyer, two security troopers standing to attention as he passed, and looked over the female lieutenant's shoulder at her display. The readouts were much stronger than what the probe droid had picked up. This was further proof that the planet was inhabited.

"Keep analysing these patterns, I want to know if any of them are military," he told her firmly.

"Yes, sir," she said.

The captain left the foyer and marched down the command walkway that ran between the bridge's two sunken crew pits. "And begin sending down pulse wave scans," Camas added over his shoulder to the crew. "I want a full report on planetary landscape and environment."

Leaving his officers to their duties, Camas allowed himself to wonder up to the forward viewport. They were close enough to get a decent bird's eye view of the planet's surface through the reinforced glass. Camas didn't normally feel like this, but at that moment he thought that the planet looked… pretty. Its colour pallet was a rich blend of blue oceans, green landmasses and white polar caps. Large cloud clusters swept over them all like wafting smoke, with one such cluster seemed to be forming into a swirling cyclone over the ocean in the lower hemisphere, creating an almost hypnotic display. The forming storms over the ocean reminded him of Kamino, while the lush greenness on land made Camas think of Kashyyyk, or even his own home world of Naboo. One of the largest continents, which jutted out to the southern hemisphere, was covered in the same sandy visage one might expect to see on Tatooine or Jakku. He already suspected this planet had a very divers ecosystem, but he was sure that the results of the pulse wave scan would tell him more. Once they knew what units to deploy and where, they could begin discharging the Grand Admiral's orders: secure the planet, establish Imperial presence in this system, and deal with the population in the appropriate manner.

"Excuse me, sir?" said a clipped voice behind the captain.

Camas turned around to see a young man in uniform holding a data pad. The solitary blue and red squares stacked on his tunic gave away that he was a midshipman, although Camas didn't recognise him. Which was strange since Camas liked to keep familiar with _all_ his officers. Acting out of curtesy, he said, "Can I help you, midshipman?"

"Actually, sir," the man said, looking over the data pad, "I just thought you'd like to see a few things I've been able to pick up on the scanners."

Camas, tilting his head while he took the pad, asked, "You're the new scanner operator?"

"Yes, sir, I just transferred from the _Talon_."

"I wasn't aware we were receiving any new personnel," said Camas, slightly confused.

"Well, you see, sir, it was a last-minute transfer," the midshipman admitted, not sounding as embarrassed as other officers might feel about a shoddy transferal job. "I was supposed to arrive before you were due to depart but my transport was delayed. When I got here your personnel allocator showed me to my station and left me to work. I assumed he had gone to inform you, sir."

"Except that he hasn't," Camas said dryly. "What's your name, midshipman?"

"Lanko, sir. Myust Lanko."

Camas's eyes closely scanned the junior officer in front of him. His uniform fit him perfectly and his dark hair was cut exactly to regulation length. The way he stood to attention in an expecting manner put Camas in mind of a first-year cadet at the Imperial Academy, full of readiness and a craving to do his duty.

Camas looked over the data pad Lanko had given him and realised it was a readout of the space surrounding the planet. "According to this," Camas regarded the data, "there is some kind of manmade construct in orbit around the planet, altitude approximately 430 km?" He raised his eyes up to Lanko's face questioningly. "I gave no instruction for an orbital scan. When did you conduct this?"

"As soon as we dropped out of lightspeed, sir."

"Why?"

"I just assumed you would want more data on the planet, sir." Lanko's expression didn't change.

He wasn't wrong, but Camas preferred his officers to notify him before they carried out any operations important to the mission. "That's very… forward thinking of you, midshipman," Camas said seriously as he handed the data pad back. "But in future I want all of your operations run by me before you carry anything out."

Lanko set the data pad back into his utility belt. "I understand, sir."

"Because you are new here and because you weren't properly allocated, I'll take this as an eagerness to discharge your duties. You may return to your station, midshipman."

"Thank you, sir." Lanko saluted and hurried back to his console.

Camas watched the youth go.

"Captain?" came Commander Jarl's voice. "All the other ships are in position and have reported in."

Camas took the commander's word and said, "I want the ship's seniors in the meeting room in fifteen minutes."

"Right away, sir."

"And find Lieutenant Rameau. I want to talk to him before the meeting."

Once Jarl had gone, Camas took one more look out through the viewport. The cyclone on the southern hemisphere continued to swirl. He wondered for a minute if the population of this planet even knew how pretty their world looked from up here.

But then he supposed they'd just have to find out.

 **The International Space Station, Earth Orbit**

 **31** **st** **March 2018**

"Checkmate, yank," Alexi said with a grin.

Hooper scowled at the burly Russian suspended in zero gravity in front of him and began rearranging the magnetic chess pieces on the board. "Best of three," he said.

"If you must insist," the Russian astronaut said with another broad smile that made Hooper huff.

The American took a while to study the board. The last two times, Alexi had allowed him to think he was winning by letting him take a few pieces, then springing a trap. So, it was only fair, that he tries the same thing out on the smug bastard. His plan was to put his pieces forward, exposing his king and keeping a few pieces in reserve to trap Alexi's pieces in a choke hold and making him send out his remaining pieces in a quick defence, thus leaving his king exposed and venerable.

Hooper began by moving a pawn on the row in front of his king. He watched Alexi move a pawn in front of his queen a single square forward. Never taking his eye of his opponent, Hooper shifted a second pawn with intent of misleading Alexi. With a fast hand, Alexi moved the bishop that stood next to his queen diagonally one square in front. Not wanting to give away his strategy, Hooper moved his third pawn, hoping that Alexi wasn't onto him. What the Russian did next completely caught Hooper off guard: her slide his bishop four squares to the right so it was facing the gap in Hooper had left in front of his king and declared, "Checkmate!"

Hooper glared furiously at the board. Again!

"I'd give it a rest if I were you," he heard Philips call from the other side of the pressured module. "You'll never beat him."

Hooper craned his neck to look at the Canadian Mission Commander, who was floating in mid-air whilst reading a book. The American shook his head at the guy then turned back to see Alexi packing the set away.

"Hey, I thought we were going to have another game!"

"What's the point? You cannot beat me." Alexi gave a dismissive shrug that Hooper found very patronising. He gave the Russian a steely look as he drifted away through zero g.

"Smug bastard," Hooper grumbled as he drifted past Li'Sen.

The radio link suddenly crackled into life. "International Space Station, this is mission control," came the jittery voice of the operator back on Earth.

"Mission Control this is mission commander," Philips replied without looking up from his book. "We're all good up here."

"Copy that, mission commander."

Hooper let himself drift past Philips and over into the Cupola. From the cramped, seven windowed observatory he could see the Earth in all its splendour. Hooper had been an astronaut for eight years and had served on several missions, yet the sight of Earth from orbit never ceased to amaze him.

What did amaze him was the shape that zipped past the window. It was only there for a second, but Hooper could have sworn he saw something. He peered out of the window more carefully, trying to get a glimpse of it again, whatever it was. It could have just been a shadow, or something reflected in the window, but Hooper's instinct told him that there had been something there.

The astronaut pressed his face against the glass when some came hurling past the window that sent Hooper tumbling back in surprise before it vanished behind the corner of the window frame. This time, however, he had been able to get a better look at it. It looked like a metal ball sandwiched between two hexagonal shaped panels.

Hooper shook his head to check if he wasn't imagining things. He had heard stories from other astronauts who had been on the space station for so long that they started to see things, yet Hooper and the others had only been on the station for a couple of months. And no way did he believe in aliens despite what the crackpot conspiracy theorists might tell you.

And yet he was certain he had seen something. Maybe it was a new experimental spacecraft? Or a new kind of mobile satellite? Something NASA hadn't told him about? Or was it one of Roscosmos' new projects? If the latter was true, Hooper would have to talk to Alexi. He was contemplating doing that very thing when three more of the strange objects came silently screaming past the window, making him jump again.

Hooper felt his breathing get shallower and his palms start sweating. As an astronaut, he wasn't prone to panic, but this was really starting to freak him out. Hooper took a deep breath and told himself to calm down. His head was messing with him. Yes, that had to be it. It was mission stress. Or stress over not being able to beat Alexi at chess. All he needed to do was have a lie down in his quarters and he'd soon be feeling as fit as a…

"Oh, mother of God."

All of Hooper's hopes about this being some stress induced vision was shattered like a sledgehammer onto a pain of thin glass as the giant spacecraft glided into view. His heart skipped several beats. If his assumption was right, the thing had to be a least over a thousand kilometres long! And it was slowly moving towards the Earth, its pointed front aimed right at the planet that humanity called home.

Hooper was frozen to the spot, but he knew he couldn't do nothing. With great urgency, he scrambled back down into the module where he found Philips staring out of a circular window, a look of shock on his face that mirrored Hooper's own.

"What the hell is this?" the Canadian gasped.

"Never mind that." Hooper tore him away from the porthole. "Radio."

Philips hovered back over to the radio bank and began yelling into the mic. "Come in Mission Control! Mission Control, do you read me?! WE HAVE AN EMERGANCY! I repeat, WE HAVE AN EMERGANCY!"


End file.
